Actions from James BourneMovable Type Pro 4.382010-08-20T12:36:51Zhttp://www.kcet.org/user/profile/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=feed&_type=actions&username=jbournePosted KCET's Weekend Event Picks - 8/20 to SoCaltag:www.kcet.org,2010:/socal//68.250202010-08-20T19:36:51Z2010-08-20T22:22:21ZLooking for something to do this weekend? Bored? No way! Check out these must-do events around the city.James Bournehttp://www.kcet.org/cgi-bin/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=68&id=697Plan your weekend using KCET's events listings! We know there are overwhelming amounts of exciting events in this city, so we've sorted through all of them in order to provide you with only the best. All you have to do? Reap the benefits.

Top Pick:

Why are you looking for weekend events? Didn't you hear!? This weekend is Sunset Junction! Head over to Silver Lake this weekend for awesome live music and great outdoor vibes.

Other things to do this weekend:

SATURDAY

Ho`olaule`a 10th Annual Tiki Beach Festival: Can't make it to the Islands this year? Don't worry, this fun and festive Tiki festival brings the Islands to you! The Ho`olaule`a Tiki Festival spans from Saturday to Sunday, starting at sunrise and ending at sunset.

Chinatown Summer Nights: Head to Chinatown each Saturday night this month for a great time with food, music, shopping and more!

SUNDAY

Gardena Jazz Festival: Great outdoor jazz music at Rowley Park in Gardena. Featuring great jazz artists like Norman Brown and Jackiem Joyner.

Hollywood Jewish Festival "Wandering Star" featuring "The Cantors": Unity in Diversity Arts Foundation and the City of West Hollywood's Russian Advisory Board presents the 2nd Annual Hollywood Jewish Festival "Wandering Star" with musical selections by "The Cantors" performing songs in Yiddish, Hebrew, and Italian. Come and celebrate and hear the sounds of the vibrant West Hollywood community.

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Posted VOD: Impact Los Angeles to Voicestag:www.kcet.org,2010:/socal/voices//67.249672010-08-18T21:10:02Z2013-08-01T21:28:16ZThere isn't any giant meteor (that we know of) headed towards Earth or Los Angeles, but if there were, it wouldn't be a very pretty picture for us Angelenos.James Bournehttp://www.kcet.org/cgi-bin/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=67&id=697We all know the world probably will not end in December of 2012, but with all the talk about cataclysmic events, one can't help but wonder: what if?

Smoke, ash, fire, giant rocks raining from the sky. We all have the picture of a meteor strike. But what would it actually look like? How much damage could it and would it end up doing? In this History Channel simulation, we get a peak at what would happen if a giant meteor made contact with Earth right here in Los Angeles. Its been a relatively cool summer here in L.A., but no one wants it this hot.

Photo Credit: The image accompanying this post was taken by Flickr user Navicore. It was used under Creative Commons license.

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Posted VOD: Cinematic Tour of Los Angeles to Voicestag:www.kcet.org,2010:/socal/voices//67.247872010-08-17T21:51:18Z2013-08-01T21:27:51ZA cinematic and geographic look at the movie capital of the world. This video takes us through time and across town to show us just a tiny slice of L.A. in film.James Bournehttp://www.kcet.org/cgi-bin/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=67&id=697Los Angeles is home to Hollywood, the movie capital of the world. So it is now surprise then, that countless scenes and even whole films have been shot here. There's no way any single video could show all the great clips in any timely fashion, but this one certainly hits on a number of the classics.

From the San Fernando Valley all the way down to the Beach cities, this compilation is a great way to see some familiar places on the big screen. Who knows, you may even learn that a big screen was shot right near you!

Photo Credit: The image accompanying this post was taken by Flickr user kla4067. It was used under Creative Commons license.

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Posted VOD: Beverly Hills to Voicestag:www.kcet.org,2010:/socal/voices//67.246042010-08-16T16:00:00Z2010-08-09T22:50:47ZWith this song about living the big life in Beverly Hills, Weezer became celebrities themselves. Its the Los Angeles dream.James Bournehttp://www.kcet.org/cgi-bin/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=67&id=697In the lead-up to the August music special tonight, each Video of the Day (with the exception of one on Coachella) has been a music video that takes place in, features, and/or sings about Los Angeles. We couldn't do two weeks of these highlights without this pick:

The idea is simple: it's just better in Los Angeles. Ok sure, the song is about Beverly Hills, but let's be real here.

Singing about living the celebrity life, Weezer turned into stars themselves with this song.

"Where I come from isn't all that great
My automobile is a piece of crap
My fashion sense is a little whack
And my friends are just as screwy as me

I wanna live a life like that
I wanna be just like a king
Take my picture by the pool
Cause I'm the next big thing"

Check out the music video:

Photo Credit: The image accompanying this post was taken by Flickr user tobiwei. It was used under Creative Commons license.

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Posted VOD: Coachella Time-Lapse to Voicestag:www.kcet.org,2010:/socal/voices//67.246032010-08-13T16:00:00Z2010-08-09T21:56:51ZOK, it isn't a music video. But Southern California music just isn't complete without Coachella! Here's a QUICK look at SoCal's annual music festival.James Bournehttp://www.kcet.org/cgi-bin/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=67&id=697In the lead-up to the August music special, each video of the day will highlight a SoCal oriented video related to music. Here's today's pick:

What if you could SEE (but not necessarily hear) an entire 3 day music festival in four and a half minutes? Here's your chance.

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, held each April in Indio, has become one of the nation's premiere music festivals. This video offers a rare behind the scenes look showing us not only the flurry of day and nighttime activity, but also the frantic effort of groundskeepers to clean the festival grounds each night and finally wrap it up.

Check out the video:

Photo Credit: The image accompanying this post was taken by the author.

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Posted VOD: Under the Bridge to Voicestag:www.kcet.org,2010:/socal/voices//67.245872010-08-12T16:00:00Z2010-08-09T19:02:49ZThe Red Hot Chili Peppers are associated with California with songs like "Dani California" and "Californication." But don't forget "Under the Bridge," which is all about Los Angeles.James Bournehttp://www.kcet.org/cgi-bin/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=67&id=697In the lead-up to the August music special, each video of the day will highlight a SoCal oriented music video. Here's today's pick:

Singing about being clean and remembering a life in drugs in a song addressed to the dirty underground world in Los Angeles, the Red Hot Chili Peppers call the city its only friend during hard times.

The song coos at Los Angeles for being a loving companion.

"Sometimes I Feel
Like my only friend
Is the city I live in
The city of angels

At least I have her love
The city she loves me"

Check out the music video here:

Photo Credit: The image accompanying this post was taken by Flickr user rococohobo. It was used under Creative Commons license.

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Posted VOD: The Raven (SS-TEST) to SoCal Selectedtag:www.kcet.org,2010:/socal/socal_selected//892.246182010-08-11T20:51:35Z2010-09-22T01:04:09ZThe Los Angeles Police Department has had a troubled history marred by violence and sometimes injustice. But its past isn't nearly as bad as its future as seen in this short film.James Bournehttp://www.kcet.org/cgi-bin/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=892&id=697
Set in a futuristic Downtown Los Angeles that is policed by LAPD drones, 'The Raven' is a short film about one man with special powers on the run from the authorities. Running from what appear to be the far-off prodigy of military Predator drones, Chris Black uses telekinetic powers to evade, destroy, and otherwise thwart the LAPD. Trust us, you haven't seen the LAPD this bad.

The short film, made on a $5000 budget, is attracting a lot of attention, even from big studios like Universal. According to the Latino Review, the studio is in talks with Mark Wahlberg to work the project. For more details, check out the blog post that tipped us off.

The film's website can be found here.

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Posted VOD: "Welcome to the Jungle" to Voicestag:www.kcet.org,2010:/socal/voices//67.245442010-08-11T16:00:00Z2010-08-09T18:59:24Z"Guns N Roses" released "Welcome to the Jungle" in 1987, and it has been regarded as a metal classic ever since. The Los Angeles connection isn't too obvious, but it's there.James Bournehttp://www.kcet.org/cgi-bin/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=67&id=697In the lead-up to the August music special, each video of the day will highlight a SoCal oriented music video. Here's today's pick:

Perfectly put by Blender.com, here is a short review of the song (which was ranked the number 1 L.A. song by the site).

"Just when Mötley Crüe were toasting the joys of Sunset titty bars, this hurricane of a song swept in from the darker side of the Strip: a sneering gutter-howl from ill-nocturnal Hollywood, a place where ''if you got the money, honey, we got your disease.'' Axl Rose knew whereof he screeched. Living broke in a Sunset crash pad dubbed "Hell House," the band spent years on the lower rungs of the local economy -- they scammed girlfriends, some sold drugs -- blending outsider perspective (Indiana-born Rose was the hayseed transplant he played in the "Jungle" video) with seamy images they collected as genuine L.A. lowlifes. The song's intensity implies that their jungle was a glimpse into an apocalyptic future."

Photo Credit: The image accomnapnying this post was taken by Flickr user christianek. It was used under Creative Commons license.

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Posted VOD: Phantom Planet's "California" to Voicestag:www.kcet.org,2010:/socal/voices//67.244582010-08-10T16:00:24Z2010-08-09T18:58:46Z"California" is a song about heading back to the Golden State by car from an unspecified location. The real question isn't where they are coming from, but rather, why did they ever leave?James Bournehttp://www.kcet.org/cgi-bin/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=67&id=697In the lead-up to the August music special, each video of the day will highlight a SoCal oriented music video. Here's today's pick:

The song "California" is named not as a title, but as an address. Phantom Planet is singing to the place itself: "California here we come..." The band is somewhere on the 101, headed back to California. In the music and lyrics, you can hear the angst and pure desire to return.

"Nothing's gonna stop me now
California, here we come
Right back where we started from

The pedal to the floor
Thinking of you more"

It's not clear where Phantom Planet is coming from (the music video heavily implies that they are on tour), but we certainly know where they are headed: California.

Photo Credit: The image accompanying this post was taken by Flickr user justinsfpics. It was used under Creative Commons license.

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Posted VOD: Hollywood Nights to Voicestag:www.kcet.org,2010:/socal/voices//67.244602010-08-09T16:00:38Z2010-08-09T18:57:51ZThe next pick in our Video of the Day build up to the music special is Bob Seger's classic "Hollywood Nights." It is arguably one of the greatest songs about Los Angeles ever written. James Bournehttp://www.kcet.org/cgi-bin/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=67&id=697In the lead-up to the August music special, each video of the day will highlight a SoCal oriented music video. Here's today's pick:

Bob Seger's classic is one of the ultimate Los Angeles songs. "Hollywood Nights" captures the allure and wonder of Los Angeles and Hollywood while also managing to tap into L.A.'s car culture with its racy beat, fast pace, and lyrics about driving. The song is widely considered to be one of the best car/cruising songs of all time. As Youtube user agingcynic writes: "I have gotten three moving violations in my life. All of them were [while] listening to this song."

"They drove for miles and miles
Up those twisting turning roads
Higher and higher and higher they climbed

And those Hollywood nights
In those Hollywood hills"

There isn't an official music video for "Hollywood Nights," but this home music video by Youtube user c075 is pretty good.

Photo Credit: The image accompanying this post was taken by Flickr user GrahamKing. It was used under Creative Commons license.

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Posted VOD: "Los Angeles is Burning" to Voicestag:www.kcet.org,2010:/socal/voices//67.244622010-08-06T16:00:00Z2010-08-09T18:41:39ZDon't panic: this is a music video, not a news update. With fire season getting under way, we can just be thankful that it isn't as bad as we see here. James Bournehttp://www.kcet.org/cgi-bin/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=67&id=697In the lead-up to the August music special, each video of the day will highlight a SoCal oriented music video. Here's today's pick:

Using fire-ridden Southern California as a backdrop for social criticism, Bad Religion rages against what it considers to be the wrongs of the main stream media. In "Los Angeles is Burning," a typical southland wildfire is raging through urban Los Angeles. Using this created scenario, Bad Religion shows how it thinks the media would respond and criticizes its subsequent actions.

"This is not a test
Of the emergency broadcast system
Where Malibu fires and radio towers
Conspire to dance again
And I cannot believe the media mecca
They're only trying to peddle reality,
Catch it on prime time, story at nine
The whole world is going insane."

"The flames are stunning
The cameras running
So take warning."

Take a look at the music video:

Photo Credit: The image accompanying this post was taken by Flickr user kevindean. It was used under Creative Commons license.

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Posted VOD: All I Wanna Do Is Have Some Fun to Voicestag:www.kcet.org,2010:/socal/voices//67.244002010-08-05T16:00:00Z2010-08-09T18:38:19ZBrace yourself - we're going back to the early 90s. Sheryl Crow's "All I Wanna Do" was arguably the pop hit of 1995, and there's no denying that this song about life in L.A. is incredibly catchy.James Bournehttp://www.kcet.org/cgi-bin/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=67&id=697In the lead-up to the August music special, each video of the day will highlight a SoCal oriented music video. Here's today's pick:

Sheryl Crow's hit song "All I Wanna Do" is characterized by its care free chorus and its light and fun melody. But the catchy tune and cheerful chorus are a bit misleading: "All I Wanna Do" is a song about a troubled girl spending a lot of time drinking "in a bar that faces a giant car wash."

The opening lines pretty much sums up the attitude of the song:

This ain't no disco
It ain't no country club either
This is L.A.

Prepare for a trip back to the 90s because...well...this song is very 90s.

Photo Credit: The image accompanying this post was taken by Flickr user TheTruthAbout... It was used under Creative Commons license.

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Posted VOD: Tom Petty's "Free Fallin'" to Voicestag:www.kcet.org,2010:/socal/voices//67.243992010-08-04T17:39:11Z2010-08-09T18:36:49Z"Free Fallin'" is a classic song about heartbreak in the San Fernando Valley. In this old-school music video, Tom Petty takes us back to the Valley of yesterday. James Bournehttp://www.kcet.org/cgi-bin/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=67&id=697In the lead-up to the August music special, each video of the day will highlight a SoCal oriented music video. Here's today's pick:

Tom Petty has been a Southern California superstar for over 30 years. Among his all time greatest hits, "Free Fallin'" is perhaps the best known for its epic refrain:

And I'm free, free fallin,'
Yeah I'm free, free fallin'

Stop to listen to the lyrics, or watch the music video below, and you'll quickly realize that this song is about nothing more than heartbreak in the San Fernando Valley. He sets the stage (Reseda) early in the song and brings us back to life in the SFV with a shout out to Ventura Boulevard and Mulholland.

Photo Credit: The image accomapnying this post was taken by Flickr user simonov. It was used under Creative Commons license.

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Posted VOD: I Love L.A. to Voicestag:www.kcet.org,2010:/socal/voices//67.243952010-08-03T19:14:12Z2010-08-09T18:35:33ZEach day until the SoCal music special, the Video of the Day will be featuring music videos and songs that have to do with Los Angeles. There is no better way to kick off the next two weeks than with Randy Newman's classic "I Love L.A."James Bournehttp://www.kcet.org/cgi-bin/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=67&id=697In the lead-up to the August music special, each video of the day will highlight a SoCal oriented music video. Here's today's pick:

Highlighting SoCal music can be difficult simply because there is so much music written about Los Angeles and the surrounding areas. Despite the overwhelming amount of options, it wasn't difficult to decide exactly which song should be the first to get us started: "I Love L.A."

You've heard it before, or at least parts of it. It's a scene we are all to familiar with: Kobe Bryant sinks the final basket, the buzzer rings, the stadium roars and the line "I love L.A." repeats and repeats.

Here is the full song and the music video that goes along with it:

Photo Credit: The image accompanying this post was taken by Flickr user jeffjose. It was used under Creative Commons license.

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Posted VOD: Windows into SoCal Life to Voicestag:www.kcet.org,2010:/socal/voices//67.240472010-07-30T19:22:58Z2010-07-30T23:09:42ZThese awesome videos capture different slices of life in Los Angeles and Southern California. From a lazy day at the beach to a raging wildfire to a hectic freeway commute, these videos will resonate with anyone who has lived in SoCal.James Bournehttp://www.kcet.org/cgi-bin/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=67&id=697What is life in Southern California?

That's a hard question to answer because there is so much here, too many different and even conflicting truths to sort out. The natural clashes with the urban, the rich live mere minutes from the poor, small town communities form in the country's second largest city, beach paradises turn suddenly into chaparral deserts.

In these two videos, we get a glimpse through a window, a fleeting glance of life in SoCal. A calm day at the beach is offset by a raging wildfire or a hectic freeway. They clearly do not and cannot present the whole picture, but these time lapse videos add a piece to the puzzle.

Watching these videos, SoCal residents should feel that flicker of familiarity stirred up by images not necessarily characteristic of their lives, but that are certainly present in their regional identity.